Meet Microshading, or "Powder Brows," a New Alternative to Microblading

When microblading first hit the scene, we at Byrdie HQ collectively gasped when we saw the results, especially firsthand on our editorial director, Faith Xue. Tiny hairlike strokes are essentially carved into the skin with a scalpel and filled with ink, not unlike a tattoo. The process is incredibly painful (Faith called it "excruciating"), but it lasts up to three years, so no pain, no gain, right? But just as we were becoming accustomed to the newness of microblading, a new treatment is making waves: microshading.

According to New Beauty, it's geared toward those with oily or sensitive skin or brows that are already full and just need a bit of shaping.

It's called "shading" rather than "blading" because the process is more so like creating a shadow or gradient appearance with teeny-tiny dots of pigment instead of fine hairs like microblading—almost like you used a brow powder (the look has also been referred to as "powder brows"). But don't worry. The color eventually fades instead of looking like a block of color on the brow area.

Microshading lasts just as long as microblading and will run you around $700 to $1500 per session. It's also worth noting that some may benefit from a combination of both microshading and microblading, especially if their brows are on the thinner side and they need that powder effect to fill out the shape.